Southern Sundays

Welcome to Southern Sundays!

Time to enjoy some beautiful site of Southern California.

People eager to go out sailing on a beautiful day...

Million dollar homes sitting on a canal in Venice, Ca

A Greek style auditorium built for concerts and plays.

A wonderful courtyard garden.

Hope you have a wonderful week and took time out to enjoy the beauty around you!

On to the party.

We had some wonderful entries.  Here's what you all liked best.

Coffee Cake

by The Chic Geek

Fruit Cocktail Caramel Cake

by With a Blast

I see a trend...

Chocolate Cobbler

by Mimi's Magic Apron

Yum!

I've pinned all your recipes and pictures to Pinterest!!  Woohoo!

Congratulations to all of you for your featured recipe!!!

So let's party!  I can't wait to see what you all bring this week.  Make sure to tell all your friends so they can join the party as well!

Guidelines:

Please become a follower by joining my site with Google Friends Connect in the right side bar.
Link back to your specific recipe and not to your main site.
Link back to Southern Sundays either in your post, or grab my Southern Sundays Button located in the right side bar.
Please visit a few of the links in the post and say hello to your fellow bloggers!
Enjoy, have fun, cook lots of food, and relish your Southern Sunday!

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

It's over 100 degrees here...every...single...day...and I'm still gonna grill.

When I was 13 years old I had my first taste of something I thought was the most elegant dish, Chicken Cordon Bleu.  I mean, even the name alone sounds so elegant.  Doesn't it?  One bite of that moist chicken stuffed with ham and cheese, all rolled in bread crumbs...heaven!  I just love the flavor combination.  For a chicken dish this is my Filet Mignon!  (and I'm a deep Filet Mignon lover, so that's saying a lot!)  

So when I came across this recipe from Cuisine Grilling for a new twist on my favorite "elegant' dish I knew immediately that I had to make it.  The best part is that it has a summertime twist...it's grilled!  So that helps in beating this never ending heat that we are having for the past month.  

This recipe still has all the flavors I love.  The ham and cheese inside with a new addition of a Dijon vinaigrette.  This vinaigrette just pulls it over the top!  Make sure to drizzle it over your vegetables too, it's that good!

The original dish has a chicken breast rolled with the ham and cheese inside and then coasted in bread crumbs.  To grill this dish without losing all the cheese you need to create a deep pocket down the middle of the chicken and then stuff it.  It works brilliantly!

MGG just about died and went to heaven when he took a bite of this dish.  The flavors are so comforting, and the grilling gives it a new slightly smokey flavor which enhances the taste.  I served along with some grilled green beans, and grilled red potato wedges.  Recipes for the side dishes will follow soon.  This is a meal the whole family will love and perfect for company.

So, fire up your grill and make yourself and "elegant" summertime dish with this Grilled chicken Cordon Bleu!

Grilled Chicken Cordon Bleu

adapted from Cuisine Grilling
serves 4

4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

4 slices of thinly sliced deli ham

4 slices of Swiss cheese

Dijon mustard

salt and black pepper

For the vinaigrette:

2 T white wine vinegar

1 T Dijon mustard

1 T honey

2 T olive oil

1 T minced fresh thyme

salt and pepper

Preheat the grill to medium-high heat.

Cut a pocket into each chicken breast by inserting a knife blade into the thick end of the breast.  Sweep the blade back and forth, cutting the opening larger, being careful not to cut through the end, top, or bottom.

Layer a slice of ham with a slice of cheese.  Roll them up together and insert into the pockets.  Brush each breast with Dijon mustard, and sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Grill chicken 6-9 minutes per side, with the lid down, or until cooked through.

Meanwhile, whisk together the white wine vinegar, Dijon, honey, olive oil, and thyme.  Season with salt and pepper. 

To serve, drizzle vinaigrette over chicken.

Cinnamon Toast Crescent Rolls

Time for a little tasty bit!

Sometimes you just want something.  A little something sweet, maybe a little after school snack for the kids, or just a little something with your coffee or tea.  A little tasty bit!

MGG always loves to have a little sweet with his coffee.  Today's dish would be perfect, but I haven't made these for him yet.  They are my secret...at least for a little while longer.

A really fond memory of a favorite food growing up was cinnamon toast.  Didn't you just love it too?  Of course we had the regular kind where you toast the bread, butter it when it's hot and sprinkle cinnamon and sugar on top.  It will do in a pinch but my true favorite way was when mom broiled it....OMG!

She would take some bread and butter it and sprinkle on the cinnamon and sugar and then place it under the broiler.  Magic! It turned out all bubbly, and caramelized...OMG...sorry, but I'm just having a moment here.

This has to be the BEST way.  Now that I'm all grown up (snickering) I still love cinnamon toast but, I just don't really make it anymore.

So the other day I saw some Crescent Rolls in the can...yes, the can...and BAM! I knew I had to make Cinnamon Toast Crescent Rolls.  I did tweak the flavors just a little by adding some brown sugar, just to help the caramelization along since that's what really draws me to my mom's broiled version.  They came out fantastic!  All ooey, gooey, and caramelized goodness...I can smell them now.

So I hope you try these.  Not really a recipe of sorts, but they are a good little tasty bit to make!

Cinnamon Toast Crescent Rolls

Yield: 8 rolls

1 can of crescent rolls (such as Pillsbury)
softened butter or margarine
2 T brown sugar
1/4 sugar
2 t cinnamon

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Remove crescent dough from the can and unroll.  Separate into 8 individual triangles and place the rolls on a working surface.

Smear one side of each triangle with softened butter.  Sprinkle the brown sugar over the butter.  Just a small amount on each one.  In a small bowl mix the sugar and cinnamon until combined.  Sprinkle some cinnamon-sugar mix over each triangle, using desired amount.

Starting at the large end roll dough toward small point until a crescent is formed.  Place on a baking sheet.  Continue until all dough is rolled in crescents. 

Bake for 8-12 min or until golden brown.  Serve hot.